Hundreds of workers gathered in Bolgatanga on May 1, 2026, to mark the national May Day celebration in the Upper East Region under the theme “Pivoting to Growth, Jobs and Sustainable Livelihoods Beyond Macroeconomic Stability.”
The event brought together organised labour groups, public servants, private sector employees, and trade unions from across all districts and municipalities in the region. In her address, Upper East Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Scholastica Tagtir Dery, said Ghana faces a deepening employment crisis that could turn political if left unchecked.
“Honourable Minister, among many other things, this theme seeks to launch a national conversation about jobs or employment. I say with no fear of contradiction that decent employment, or lack of it, remains one of the most significant economic and social problems in Ghana. And it has the potential to transform into a political problem if it remains unchecked. We are almost at a crisis,” she stated.
Mrs. Dery outlined two key dimensions of the crisis. First, she said, young people educated at great cost to families and society cannot find jobs that match their skills, deliver fair incomes, or offer benefits.
“The problem is exemplified by the fact that young graduates have to wait for 5 years or more before getting their first job,” she said.
Second, she noted that many of those who do have jobs are underpaid and insecure. “A greater proportion of people who have jobs earn low incomes, so low that they cannot take good care of themselves and their families.
A majority are not registered for social security and therefore not contributing to pensions. They work long hours in unhealthy and unsafe environments,” she added.
“The employment challenge is not only unemployment. It is also many of those in work remain insecure, underpaid, and insufficiently protected. They work full time, yet struggle to afford food, rent, transport, healthcare, utilities, and education,” Dery said.
She warned that the failure to absorb educated youth represents a waste of human resources. “Having a large pool of educated young people roaming the streets and sitting idle entails substantial waste of human resources. Our society is not reaping the much talked about ‘dividends of the youth bulge,’” she said.
Mrs. Dery called for collective action to prevent a looming social fallout. “Hon. Minister, when we work together, as we must, we can ensure that this time-bomb does not explode, and that Ghana can reap the full benefits of a growing and educated young population,” she said.
Speaking at the same event, the Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, said the government is focused on translating macroeconomic gains into real benefits for workers. “The true test of economic progress lies in its ability to create jobs, improve incomes, and secure sustainable livelihoods for our people,” he stated.
Mr. Akamugri praised Ghanaian workers for their resilience and contribution to national development, describing them as the driving force behind the country’s growth. He highlighted measures already taken to ease economic pressure, including a nine per cent increase in the national minimum wage and ongoing efforts to stabilise inflation and the exchange rate.
He added that the government is also rolling out social interventions such as affordable housing schemes for public sector workers.
A1Radio|101.1 MHz|David Azure|Bolgatanga
